摘要：Purpose:The purpose of this study was to examine the concordance between self and standardized patient (SP) ratings of medical students' communication skills. Methods:Forty-three students interviewed SPs. The students were asked to complete a communication skills questionnaire that comprised 2 measures (empathy and interpersonal communication) before the interview. After each student’s interview with the SP,the latter completed the same questionnaire as the students. Results:Based on Lin's concordance coefficient,there was strong disconcordance between students' self-ratings and the SPs' ratings. With regard to empathic communication,more than 50% of students who considered themselves higher than middle level were regarded by SP as low level. On interpersonal communication,39% of students who assessed themselves as higher than middle level were scored low level by SPs. Conclusion:There was strong disconcordance between students' self-ratings and the SPs' ratings—students tended to overevaluate themselves regarding their communication skills. These differences might result in patient dissatisfaction and noncompliance. Further, it could become a serious hindrance to the development of a good doctor-patient relationship. Medical educators should make sincere efforts to reduce this gap by teaching medical students the importance of the patients' perception of his doctors' communication skills.
关键词：Empathic communication;Interpersonal communication;Lin’s concordance;Standardized patients;Overevaluation of communication skills
